Cherry Wine
by TheConjuringMind
Summary: Alternate scene for the first film, in which Susan manages to make her meeting with Victor after bumping into Ben and Reed. REVISED WITH ALTERNATE ENDING.
1. Original Ending

**Author's Note: This story is dedicated to everyone who requested I post more Fantastic Four stories.**

 **Synopsis: An alternate scene that takes place during the first film, in which Victor makes another attempt to propose to Susan.**

 **Disclaimer: I Don't Own Fantastic Four.**

* * *

Victor Von Doom had just finished swigging back his third glass of cherry wine, when Susan Storm had hastily entered his office.

She was supposed to meet him at five, now it was _seven_.

Sue stood awkwardly before him, giving her skirt a small tug, and her hair a slight 'fluff' as she anxiously waited for him to speak.

Victor set his empty wine glass down on the coffee table in the center of the room, and stared back at her boredly.

"You're late." He stated, propping his elbow up on the arm of his chair, and resting his chin on his fist.

"I'm sorry Victor, I bumped into Ben and Reed and I-"

Victor struggled to hold back a frustrated sigh, as he raised a hand to silence her.

"No need to explain, Susan. It won't make any difference. You're here now, at least. And that must be good for _something_."

Susan awkardly cleared her throat, and began taking a sudden interest in studying the room's carpet.

She had never been late to a meeting with Victor before, so she wasn't used to seeing him act so sour. And she had to admit, it was a little unnerving.

"Uh..."

Victor nodded to the chair across from his.

"Please, sit down."

Sue reluctantly complied, crossing her legs and shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" She asked nervously.

"Well, I've been thinking lately..."

"About the company?" She interjected curiously.

"About our _partnership_." He said irritably, causing her to regret having spoken at all.

Victor shook his head, struggling to regain his composure.

"How we've progressed these past years." He continued.

"Yes," Sue blinked once in reply. "I guess we have, haven't we?"

"Indeed. So, I was thinking," He began again, trailing a finger along the rim of his empty wine glass. "when concerning a relationship as interesting as _ours_ , that making certain decisions would just..." he abruptly stopped trailing his finger along the glass's rim, and put both his hands together, as if to think. "make sense, if you will. Are you following me?"

Sue's brows knit together in confusion.

"No, I'm not sure I am. What do you mean?"

Victor suppressed a sigh, growing more impatient by the second.

"What I'm trying to say, _Susan,_ is that what we have going," he gestured to the both of them with his hand. "you and me, it would just make sense if we...took things a step further?"

"Victor..." Sue rose uncomfortably from her seat, making her way across the room to stand infront of his office desk.

Victor followed after her.

"What are you saying?"

Victor slowly came up from behind her, and lowered his face to hers.

"What I'm saying, Susan..." He whispered in her ear, gently taking her by the wrist and turning her towards him as he got down on one knee.

"Is will you marry me?"

Susan's eyes widened considerably, and a small gasp escaped her lips.

"V-victor..." She swallowed nervously, as he pulled a small box from his pocket, and opened it to reveal a silver, diamond-encrusted ring. "I don't know what to say."

Victor smirked mischievously.

"Say 'yes'."

A few seconds had passed before Susan finally found it in herself to speak.

"I-" Sadly, she was cut short.

By Victor's assistant, Leonard, who'd entered the room unannounced, with impeccable timing.

"Sir." He began in an urgent tone.

Victor sighed dramatically, and whipped his head around to face him.

 _"Not now!_ Can't you see I'm busy here?"

Leonard gulped, and took a step back.

"But sir," He said, his voice wavering ever so slightly. "It's _urgent_. There's something wrong with a patient by the name of 'Ben Grimm'. They say it's pretty serious."

Susan's head shot up from Victor, to his assistant, concern evident on her face.

"Is he alright? What's wrong with him?"

Victor quickly rose to his feet.

"Calm down, Susan. I'm sure he's fine. Let's just wrap this up and then have a look at him, okay?"

Susan scoffed, and shook her head, following his assistant out of the room in search of Ben.

* * *

Back at Ben's room, there had been quite a commotion.

By the time Sue and Victor had arrived, the whole place had been trashed.

Chunks of drywall had been torn off of walls and scattered all across the floor.

A few lightbulbs in the ceiling's light fixtures had been busted as well.

Apparently Ben had suffered a terrible side-effect from their encounter with the cosmic storm, and had fled the medical facility in a state of confusion, and embarrassment.

Reed and Johnny had since left to search for him, and Sue had offered to go help, but Victor had tactfully convinced her otherwise.

Sue now stood in front of Ben's medical room's shattered window, her arms wrapped protectively around herself, staring out at the green forest below.

Victor stood beside her, staring out the same window.

He reached a gentle hand out to touch her shoulder, feigning concern for her missing friend.

"He'll be fine. He couldn't have gone too far." He tried assuring her, though he couldn't care less whether Ben was alright or not.

As far as he was concerned, it was one less man to compete with for Susan's affections.

"I hope you're right." She sighed, exasperated.

"So...what really happened when you ran into Ben and Read?" Victor asked after a while of silence.

Sue rolled her eyes, and brushed his hand off her shoulder.

She _knew_ he hadn't really been concerned of Ben's whereabouts, but what made him think she had to explain herself to him?

"I just lost track of time, that's all. Really."

Victor sighed to himself, relieved.

"You know, you still haven't given me an answer." He said matter of factly.

"I know." She mumbled, tightening her jaw, trying her best not to snap at him.

"Do you plan on throwing one out any time soon?" He asked a little impatiently.

Sue swiftly turned herself around, plastering on one of her best fake smiles.

"Victor," She began sweetly, looking deep into his cold, blue eyes.

"Yes, Susan?" He smiled, almost endearingly.

Sue smirked, and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Go marry _yourself._ "


	2. Alternate Ending

**Author's Note: I would like to thank Dave (Guest) for his honest review, it inspired me to write an alternate ending to this story. So this new chapter is dedicated to him, and everyone else who felt indifferent about the way I'd previously ended it.**

 **Synopsis: An alternate version of the previous chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I Don't Own Fantastic Four.**

* * *

Victor Von Doom had just finished swigging back his third glass of cherry wine, when Susan Storm had hastily entered his office.

She was supposed to meet him at five, now it was _seven_.

Sue stood awkwardly before him, giving her skirt a small tug, and her hair a slight 'fluff' as she anxiously waited for him to speak.

Victor set his empty wine glass down on the coffee table in the center of the room, and stared back at her boredly.

"You're late." He stated, propping his elbow up on the arm of his chair, and resting his chin on his fist.

"I'm sorry Victor, I bumped into Ben and Reed and I-"

Victor struggled to hold back a frustrated sigh, as he raised a hand to silence her.

"No need to explain, Susan. It won't make any difference. You're here now, at least. And that must be good for _something_."

Susan awkwardly cleared her throat, and began taking a sudden interest in studying the room's carpet.

She had never been late to a meeting with Victor before, so she wasn't used to seeing him act so sour. And she had to admit, it was a little unnerving.

"Uh..."

Victor nodded to the chair across from his.

"Please, sit down."

Sue reluctantly complied, crossing her legs and shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" She asked nervously.

"Well, I've been thinking lately..."

"About the company?" She interjected curiously.

"About our _partnership_." He said irritably, causing her to regret having spoken at all.

Victor shook his head, struggling to regain his composure.

"How we've progressed these past years." He continued.

"Yes," Sue blinked once in thought. "I guess we have, haven't we?"

"Indeed. So, I was thinking," He began again, trailing a finger along the rim of his empty wine glass. "when concerning a relationship as interesting as _ours_ , that making certain decisions would just..." he abruptly stopped trailing his finger along the glass's rim, and put both his hands together, as if to think. "make sense, if you will. Are you following me?"

Sue's brows knit together in confusion.

"No, I'm not sure I am. What do you mean?"

Victor suppressed a sigh, growing more impatient by the second.

"What I'm trying to say, _Susan,_ is that what we have going," he gestured to the both of them with his hand. "you and me, it would just make sense if we...took things a step further?"

"Victor..." Sue rose uncomfortably from her seat, making her way across the room to stand in front of his office desk.

Victor followed after her.

"What are you saying?"

Victor slowly came up from behind her, and lowered his face to hers.

"What I'm saying, Susan..." He whispered in her ear, gently taking her by the wrist and turning her towards him as he got down on one knee.

"Is will you marry me?"

Susan's eyes widened considerably, and a small gasp escaped her lips.

"V-victor..." She swallowed nervously, as he pulled a small box from his pocket, and opened it to reveal a silver, diamond-encrusted ring. "I don't know what to say."

Victor smirked mischievously.

"Say 'yes'."

A few seconds had passed before Susan finally found it in herself to speak.

"I-" Sadly, she was cut short.

By Victor's assistant, Leonard, who'd entered the room unannounced, with impeccable timing.

"Sir." He began in an urgent tone.

Victor sighed dramatically, and whipped his head around to face him.

 _"Not now!_ Can't you see I'm busy here?"

Leonard gulped, and took a step back.

"But sir," He said, his voice wavering ever so slightly. "It's _urgent_. There's something wrong with a patient by the name of 'Ben Grimm'. They say it's pretty serious."

Susan's head shot up from Victor to his assistant, concern evident on her face.

"Is he alright? What's wrong with him?"

Victor quickly rose to his feet, taking one of her hands in her own, gently rubbing the back of it with his thumb in an attempt to comfort her.

"Calm down, Susan. I'm sure he's fine. Just come with me and we'll have a look at him, okay?" He suggested, offering an arm for her to take.

Susan nodded, promptly linking her arm with his, both following his assistant out of the room in search of Ben.

* * *

Back at Ben's room, there had been quite a commotion.

By the time Sue and Victor had arrived, the whole place had been trashed.

Chunks of drywall had been torn off of walls and scattered all across the floor.

A few light bulbs in the ceiling's light fixtures had been busted as well.

Apparently Ben had suffered a terrible side-effect from their encounter with the cosmic storm, and had fled the medical facility in a state of confusion, and embarrassment.

Reed and Johnny had since left to search for him, and Sue had offered to go help, but Victor had tactfully convinced her otherwise.

Sue now stood in front of Ben's room's shattered window, her arms wrapped protectively around herself, staring out at the green forest below.

Victor stood beside her, staring out the same window.

He reached a gentle hand out to touch her shoulder, feigning concern for her missing friend.

"He'll be fine. He couldn't have gone too far." He tried assuring her, though he couldn't care less whether Ben was alright or not.

As far as he was concerned, it was one less man to compete with for Susan's affections.

"I hope you're right." She sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Of course I'm right," Victor replied confidently. "When have I ever been wrong?"

Sue smiled to herself, she could think of many times when Victor had been wrong; from failing to pick decent business partners to collaborate with, to making poorly-thought out decisions on a whim, there were plenty of times when Victor had been wrong.

But still, there was something she liked about a man who exuberated confidence. Something she found oddly admirable.

It was a quality she believed needed to be present in order for her to be in a working relationship with a man. A quality that Reed greatly _lacked_. Along with every other man she'd previously dated for that matter.

But there was something about Victor...

"You know, you still haven't given me an answer." He said suddenly, effectively breaking Susan out of her reverie.

"I know." She said softly, a small smile on her lips.

"Do you plan on throwing one out any time soon?" He pressed, albeit a bit anxiously.

Sue lifted her head from his shoulder and turned herself to face him, cupping his smoothly-shaven face in her hands.

"Victor," She began sweetly, looking deep into his cold, blue eyes.

"Yes, Susan?" He grinned mischievously, resting his hands on her hips.

If Reed would never make a move, then she _would_.

Sue leaned in close, closing the small gap between them with a brief, intimate kiss.

"Yes _._ " She smiled, after drawing back from him.


End file.
